Terminal clip.



V. H. KELLER..

TERMINAL GLIP.

APPLIATION FILED 00T.3, 1911.

1,025,573. v P'atented May '7, 1912.

WIINESSES.- JN VEA/TOR.

@Qmfwj, @mwa/QW, @6 n By A TTORNEYS entren srnrns PATENT orrron.

VERNET H. KELLER, OF HATFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

TERMINAL CLIP.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatl, VnnNE'r H. KELLER, a citizen of the United States of America., re siding at Hatfield, in the county of Hampshire and State of lltlassachusetts, have 4invented a new and useful Terminal Clip, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in connecting devices on clips for the terminals of electric conductors, and more particularly to devices which are used to connect electric conductors with spark-plugs in interi'ial-combustion engines of the ordinary types, although the application of said invention is not thus limited but is quite general in its scope; and said invention `resides in certain parts and combinations of parts, including pivotally-mounted and spring-A pressed aws and means to produce or form a spark-gap, all as hereinafterset forth..

The objects of my invention are, first, to produce a simple, durable and compara-4 tively inexpensive connector for attaching an electric conductor to and detaching it from the cent al electrode of a spark-plug or to the binding-post or other terminal of a. telegraph, telephone, or other electrical instrument or .ipliaratus, such conductor being securely and practically permanently fastened to said connector; second, to provide such a device with normally closed or sclt"closiiig jaws, to the end that the connection can be easily. quickly and conveniently made, and as readily and with equal facility broken, the jaws acting automatically in`botn cases and allording a good and sutlicient electrical contact when in engagement. with a terminal, and, third, to provide such a device with `means to determine without ditti culty \\f'hethcr or not the electrical circuit. of which the clip forms a part is active, or, in other words. to ascertain whether or not the electric current. is passing through said clip. 'lhis last is very important, because it frequently occurs that one (or more) ot' a series ot spail -plugs,for example, fails to spark properly,y it being then necessary to remove. the spark-plugs one 'atte' another until the detective plug (or plugs) is discovered. unless provision is made for detecting the locat ion of the ditliculty by an examination of the connecting clips.

Other objects will appear in the course of the Ifollowing description.

lattain the objects and secure the advantages of my invention by the means illus- Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed October 3, 1911. Serial No. 652,582.

Patentedltlay '7, 1912.

trated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a clip which embodies a practical form of my invention, the same ,having an electric conductor secured thereto and being itself attached to a spark-plug; Fig. 2, a top plan of said clip, the sleeve being in this view removed from the body portion of the clip to expose the spark-gap; Fig. 3, an enlargedA longitudinal central section through said clip, all parts being in normal position, and Figli, 'a top, plan of a modified form of clip, the bod of the same being in partial section.

Similar figures refer to similar parts .throughout the several Views.

In eaeli of the views a short piece of an electric conductor appears at l and its insulation at 2.

1T As already noted, myconnector or clip,- 'although it may be. used with electrical apparatus in general, is especially designed for u se with spark-plugs of internal-combustion engines, for the purpose, therefore, of

illustrating the practical application of said shown, or with the central electrode' direct.

rlhe'spark-plug represented in connection herewith is of ordinary construction and needs no explanation, more especially in view ,of ,the fact that it forms no part of the present invention.

Passing now to the clip itself, it will be observed that the same comprises a hollow metallic body therein opening through one'end and opposite sides thereof, suc-h slotbeing in what might be termed the head of such body, and, furthermore, is externally and internally scrmv-tln'eaded; a pair of metallic gripping or clamping members or jawsv 6 at the slotted or head end of said body, which jaws are adapted to engage or release a spark-plug terminal member such as the clamping-nut- 3, or a binding-post or equivalent terminal member of some other electrical device; an externally screw-threatlcd insulatingr plug 7, which has one end screwed into said body; a metallic cap 8 internally screw-thrcadcd to tit the opposite end of said insulating plug onto which such eapis screwed and between 4, which has a central slot 5 l which and the adjacent end of said cap the inner end of the conductor l is secured, after passing through la central opening in said cap end, in the usual manner and as repre sented in 9, in Fig. 3; and an internally screw-threaded sleeve 10, of insulating inaterial, adapted to be screwed onto said body and to cover all of the parts between the frontend portion or head ofsaid body and the adjacent end of the insulator 2.

The body 4 and the cap 8 are retained at some distance apart by the plug 7, a gap being thus produced between the adjacent ends of said body and cap. Thus separated by the insulating plug, the body and the cap are out of both hysical and 'electrical contact, but, by near y closing the gap just mentioned, between the adjacent ends of said body and cap, so that the spark can jump across the intervening space, provision is made for the passage of the current, and also for ascertaining whether the circuit is active-or inactive. Preferably such`spark-- gap is formed at a single point by means ot' a projection 4from one adjacent edge or the other orl projections from both of such edges,

' Vsuch a projection in any event extending toward the opposite or juxtaposed member but not' actually coming into contact with it. In the present case a projection or point 11 extends from the edge at the open end of the cap 8 toward the adjacent end of the body 4 and close enough to the latter to enable the current to jump across the intervening space, sparks being produced in such space so long as the current remains active and thus giving visual evidence of such activity.

The jaws 6, which may be separately pivoted to the body 4, as at 12-12 in Figs. 2 and 3, or attached to thel body by means ot a single pivot 12, as shown in Fig. 4. are notched, indented or recessed just behind their outer or free ends, as represented at 12S, to enable said jaws when closed not only to grasp firmly an object'between them, such as the clamping-nut 3, but also to insure a good electrical contact, and the aforesaid free ends are rounded in a manner to facilitate engagement with and disengagement t'rom the clamping-nut or other terminal.

The inner end portion of the jaws (3 in each l case are received in the slot 5, wherein they are pivoted, and such portions operate in such slot.

There being only one pivot- 12, in the Fig. f1 construction, itisnecessary `tort-he inn-er end portions of the jaws t3 to lap by eaph other, while in the other construction such end portions lie in the same plane. The jaws which are arranged in the saine plane with each other and are mounted on the two pivots are provided with beveled or divergent edges 1tl4, aeach of which edges leads from the inner end of the dividing' line belhe an active factor. The plug tween the two jaws rearwardly or inwardly and laterally or toward the sides of the body 4 through which the slot- 5 opens. Herein is found another difference between the two jaw constructions, since the divergent edges 14 are absent from the second construction which appears in Fig. 4. l

lt will be seen that pressure exerted on the beveled edges 14 has a tendency to swing the jaws 6 on their pivots 12 in such a way as to close said jaws, that is, to actuate the outer and major portions of said jaws toward each other until their adjacent edges come into contact or their recessed parts 13 engage a terminal. The recessed parts 13 must be shallow enough to accommodate the jaws to the smallest terminal, so that they can tightly engage thc same before the adjacent edges of the jaws come into engagement and so check further closing movement.

To produce the proper pressure on the beveled or divergent edges 14 and as a result of such pressure to maintain the jaws 6 normally in their closed condition, 4l have recourse to the construction and parts next described. The central bore in the body 4.- is continued Vthrough into the slot 5 in said body and a spiral spring '15 is inserted in this bore between the end of the plug 7 that is in said bodv and the edges 14 or a follower in the form of a disk 16 that bears directly against said edges and receives the thrust from said spring. The spring 15l tends constantly to force the disk 16 against the edges 14 and to retain the jaws G in their v closed condition, to the end that the resiliency ot said spring must be overcome in order to separate said jaws at their outer ends or open them, the heels of the jaws then approaching each other and thrusting said disk rearwardly. The spring 15 is thus compressed between the lug 7 and the disk 16 to a greater extent tian before, but acts to swing those parts of'the. jaws that are in advanee ot the pivots 12 toward each other again as soon as the superior force ceases to 7 extends only part way into the bore 17, so that there is left ample room for the spring and follower or disk.

The disk 1G is ot a size which permits it to bear against the beveled edges 14 ht a point which will produce the desiredclosing movement and keep the jaws normally'in their... closed position.l or, in other words, which enables lsaid disk to bear against the heels ot' said jaws, such heels consisting of those portions of the jaws that are behind the pivots 12 and being designated by the numeral 20-see Fig. 3. Tf the disk were vso small as to bear against the edges 1-t at points where said disk could pass between the pivots 1n the absence of the jaws, the object ot' the vdisk and spring would be desuiicient amount of force, and the closing action is quick and strong.

In place of thespring/l and the follower 0r disk 16, a'looped spring 18 may be employed, as shown in thelast View. Here the slot 5 does not communicate with the screwthreaded bore in the body 4 into which the plug 7 is inserted, and the inner edges of the lapped portions of theI jaws 6 are curved or rounded oti' so as to allow said jaws to open without striking the inner end of said slot.. The spring 18 has a central loop and extends forwardly and outwardly from such loop to notches 19-19 in the lateral edges of the jaws 6, where the ends of said spring are attached to said jaws, such ends being bent over and inserted in said notches. The effeet of the action of the spring 18 on the jaws is' practically the same 'as that of the spring 15. This construction may be somewhat cheaper than the other, but otherwise may not be' so efficient and desirable. The

pivots 12 in both cases 'are inserted in the bodies 4 and extend across the 'slots 5 in such bodies and through the inner endportions of the jaws 6 whieh`are in such slots. The sleeve 10 may be screw-threaded throughout its entire length sothat either end of the same can be screwed onto the body 4. The interior diameter of the sleeve 10 is large enough to permit said sleeve to be moved on the insulation 2 and the cap 8. The parts are assembled by first placing the sleeve 10 on the insulation 2, then inserting the denuded end of the conductor 1 which protrudes from said insulation in the cap 8 and screwing the plug 7 into said cap against the inserted part of said conductor, and finally screwing the body 4 ont-o said plug, the disk 16 and the spring 15 being placed in the bore 17 before screwing said body onto said plug, in the clip shown in the first three views. After thus assembling the parts, the sleeve 10 is moved into engagement with thc body 4 and screwed' thereon for the purpose of covering the jointed members'and providm a suitable and convenient lhandle with which you hold the clip while connecting and disconncct ing it. llither form of clip is attached to a terminal by simply presenting the iuturned t'ront ends` ot' thejaws (i to the terminal :rnd t'oreing said jaws onto said termi nal with the latter in the reeessesor reeessed portions lll ot' said jaws. the spring l5 or 1S, as the ease may be. lrichting to perlnit s ch ends to pass the terminal. and then acting` to closey the jaws' on the terminal and .serving to retain them in Iirm eontaety therewith. 'l`he withdrawal ot either clip is eil'eeted by grasping the sleeve lt) and pulling with sufficient force to overcome the resiliency of the holding spring by the yseparation of the jaws as their front ends slip past and cti of the terminal. By unserewing the sleeve 10 and sliding it back on the insulation 2 until the point 10 is exposed, the presence or absence of the, current can be ascertained by observing whether o1 not sparks are being given olf at the sparkgrip, as hereinbefore noted.

I am aware that various changes and modifications in the shape, size, and construct-ion of some or all of the parts of my device, besides those herein shown and deY scribed, such as will occur to one skilled in the art to which said device belongs, may be made without departing from the nature of my invention, wherefore I desire to include all such changes and modifications 'and to cover them by my claims. Y

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A terminal clip comprising a body provided with pivotally attached sprmgpressed terminal-gripping jaws at its outer end, means for connecting an electric conductor with theinner end of said body, such4 means consisting in part ot' a cap, and a sleeve attached to said body1 to cover the jointed members and serre as a handle.such sleeve being detachable.

2. A terminal clip comprising a body provided with ternmal-attaching means, engaging means for an electric conductor, and an linsulating member between said body and said conductonengaging means, the parts being arranged to iorm a spark-gap between said engaging means and body.

3. The combination, in a terminal clip, of a body provided with terminal-attaching means,'engaging means for an electric coni ductor, an insulating member between said body and said conductor-engaging means, the parts being arranged toform a spark` gap between said engaging means and body, and a sleeve mounted on ,said body and over the jointed members and adapted to be I moved to expose said spark-gap.

4. A terminal clip comprising a body provided at one end with terminni-attaching nieans,an insulation plug inserted i-n said body at the other end. and a holding eap for an 4electric conductor mounted onthe part i A bers.

SFA terminal clip comprising a body, terminal-gripping jaws pivotally attached to one end ot .said body, means to connect an electric conductor with the other end of said body, and a spring arranged and adapted' to maintain said jaws normally in a closed condition, said jaws having their front ends so shaped that they can be forced apart against the resiliency of said spring when presented to a terminal.

6. The Combination, in a terminal clip, with a hollow body, and a pair of terminalgripping jaws piv'otally attached to said body, such jaws having divergent rear edges, of a closure for the inner end of said body, and a spring in ksaid body between said closure and said rear edges of the jaws, such spring being capable of operating said jaws to close them.

7. The combination, in a terminal clip, with a centrally bored and slotted body, and

a pair of terminal-grippin jaws pivotally attached in the slot to sai body and each having a heel portion that, extends behind its pivot, the edges of such heel portions being relatively divergent, of a closure for -the inner end of said body,-and a spring and' follower within the bore between said c10- sure and said heel portions of the jaws, such spring being capable of operating said jaws to close them. y

VERNET H. KELLER. Witnesses:

F. A. CUTTER, A. C. FAIRBANKS.' 

